Vehicle wheel



Aug. 23, 1938. Y J H. HUNT 2,127,600-

VEHICLE WHEEL INVEN'i'OR. J #45040 HU/VJ' ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 1938 m n ;.sTATE VEHICLE wnnnr.

ll Harold Hunt, Lansing, Mich., assignor to Motor Wheel Corporation; Lansing, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Original application July 21, 1933, Serial No. 1 682,373. Divided and this application August 5, 1936, Serial No. 94,409

ZCIaims. This invention relates to vehicle wheels and. more particularly "tohthe" combination with a wheel body having arim detachably connected thereto of an ornamental cover detachably se- 5 cured tothe rim,and arranged-to conceal the,

means for .deta'chably connecting the rim to the wheel body.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 682,373, filed July 27, 1933. A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in 'the accompanying drawing, whereinp I Figure I is a partial cross-sectional view of a vehicle wheel;

provides a rim centering seat I6 at each corner.

ofthe blank in the form of a segment of a cylinder.

The wheel body is deeply dished in its intermediate portion to provide an outer rim attaching zone represented by flat radial extending portions II at each corner, an inner hub attach-. ing zone comprising a radially extending annular portion I8 and an intermediate brake drum attaching zone comprising a radially extending annular portion I8. Asbest shown in Figure I, the

rim and hub attaching zones lie in substantially the same radial plane while the brake drum at- .m taching zone lies in a radial plane spaced axially inward from the said other zones.

A circular opening is provided in the center of the wheel body. Suitable openings 2| for the reception of attaching means are formed in the hub attaching zone I8. Similar openings 22 for the reception of attaching means are formed in the brake drum attaching zone I9. A single opening 23 for the reception of a stud is formed in the rim attaching zone I'I adjacent each corner of the wheel body;

Thehub Ill has the usual radially extending flange 24 provided with a shoulder 25 adjacent its inner extremity and an inclined annular contacting surface 26 adjacent its outer extremity. The wheel body is mounted upon the hub with its Figure II is a partial cross-sectional view' through another portion'of the same wheel; and

inner edge defining the central opening 20, seated upon the shoulder 25 with its annular hub attaching zone I8 contacting the face-of the hub flange 24 and withits dished annular portion immediately adjacent the hub attaching zone I8 contacting the inclined annular surface 26. The hub flange 24 is provided with openings registering with the openings 2I in the wheel body. Rivets 28 extending through these registering open.- in'gs permanently attach the wheel body to the hub flange.

Four circumferentially spaced apart rim attaching lugs 29 are permanently secured to the inner surface of the base of the rim I3 by rivets 30. The rim attachingvlugs 28 include a radially extending portion 8i provided with an opening adapted to register with the openings 28 in the rim attaching zone ll of the wheel body. A securing bolt 82 projecting through each of the openings 23 and which is preferably permanently attached to the wheelbody extends through the opening in the radial portion 3| of each of the lugs 29 when the rim is mounted upon the circumiierentially spaced apart rim seats IS; The rim is held in position upon the wheel body by means of nuts .33 threaded on to the outerextremity of thebolts 82 whereby the radially ex-' tending portion ll of the ing is locked against the radially extending portions II of the wheel body.

When the rim is thus secured in position it may contact the rim seats l8 or may be spaced slight- 1y therefrom but Is spaced radially from the portions of the perimeter of the wheel body II intermediate the corners thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 11.

The brake drum I2, which may be of any conventional form and which is here shown as of the type which has a cast wear-resisting inner liner 34, is provided with a radially extending attaching flange 35 at one edge thereof and a stiflening rib 36 adjacent the other edge. The radially extending attaching flange 35 is provided with circumierentially spaced apart openings adapted to register with the openings 22 in the brake drum attaching zone I8 01' the wheel body. The brake drum is permanently attached to the wheel body by means of rivets 81 projecting through these registering openings.

. The cover I4, which is here shown as being of 5 generally frusto-conical formation, has a plurality oi circumferentially spaced apart openings 38 formed therein adjacent the periphery thereof which provide intermediate spoke portions 28. The periphery of the cover is formed with a radially extending annular portion 48 constituting a continuation oi the spokes 89 and an annular integral axially extending flange 4!. The central portion of the cover is preferably imperfo rate but designed toreceive a removable disk 42 simulating the appearance of a conventional hub 7 cap. This disk member 42 may be dispensed with entirely or may be permanently attached to the coyer M, if desired.

The cover l4- is removably attached to the inner surface of the base of the rim it by means gaged by the head 46 formed adjacentv the outer extremity of the retention devices 43. Suitable grooves or slots 47 are formed in the flange 4| adjacent the depressions for the reception of a tool which may be utilized for removing the cover.

When the cover is installed the peripheral flange M thereof contacts the inner surface of the base of the rim ll, as shown. In order to provide a snug flt between these parts the flange M is cut away at four points, as indicated at 48, to phi-event interierence with the rim attaching lug 9.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that this invention provides a novel wheel construction employing an ornamental cover arranged to conceal the wheel body and the rimv securing means utilized in detachably connecting the rim to the wheel body. Thus, the wheel body and the rim securing means maybe formed primarily for utility and without, regard to ornamentation.

While only a preferred embodiments! the invention. has been herein shown and described, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment, but is co-extensive with the scope of the appended claims. Y

I claim:

1. A wheel including, in combination, a wheel body having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rim seats. a rim mounted upon the seats, securing means for detachably connecting the rim to the wheel body, an ornamental cover arranged to conceal said wheel body and said rim securing means, said cover having an axially extending peripheral flange concentric with and located within said rim, an attaching clip secured to said rim intermediate said rim seats and engaging said flange, said rim securing means including abutments tor the axially inner edges of the peripheral flange on said cover.

2. A wheel including, in combination, a wheel body having a plurality of circumferentially seats for securing said cover to said wheel, saidclips holding said cover against axially outward movement of said cover with respect to the wheel, the said rim securing means including abutments for the axially inner edges of the periph eral flange of said cover.

J-HAROLD-HUNT. 4o 

